A Grim Situation

by Whit McClendon

  The ceremony had begun. Tanya’s chant echoed from the walls, low, wavering syllables that Avery didn’t understand, but felt all the way into her bones. Tanya had lit the fire in the center of the ritual circle, then altered her tone as she tossed several handfuls of powders and herbs into the flames. Her voice became harsher, more guttural, and the fire responded. The flames crackled higher and a thick, ebony and scarlet column of smoke arose, orange sparks swirling up on the heated air within. Avery’s eyes stung, and she angrily blinked away the tears. Tanya ignored her and continued her chant as she raised her hands, imploring the fire to burn higher. It obeyed her command, and Avery felt its heat on her skin, unwelcome and hateful. Without warning, the heat turned to cold as something unseen emerged from the depths of the flames, and she recoiled as she sensed an intelligence where there had been none before.

  Moving with graceful elegance, the sorceress stepped over to the wooden chest against the wall, never wavering in her song. Taking her time, she slowly undressed, folding her clothes and depositing them in the chest until she stood naked, the hellish light wavering on her tanned skin. Her constant chanting rose and fell to create a hypnotic rhythm that filled Avery with dread, and Tanya began to sway gently in time with her song.

  A pressure had been rising in the room ever since Tanya had lit the fire, and Avery felt something pushing at her, pressing at her. The unseen force felt oily and oddly cold on her skin, but she saw nothing as it touched and probed as if it were trying to gain entrance to her body. She steeled herself against it and tried not to panic. Desperate, she took a breath, and sent her focus inwards, away from the encroaching force.

  The strange tingling that had arisen within her beckoned, a welcome warmth within her core that was both alien to her and familiar. She took a shuddering breath and moved her awareness deeper into her own body. She found the power there, a burbling vitality that invigorated and energized her. For the first time, she reveled in it, accepted it, became one with it.

  With a thought, she imagined it pressing outward, repelling the unhealthy presence that sought to corrupt her. She was quickly rewarded as the questing tendrils of energy snapped back, leaving her alone. Her mind reeled. Power swelled inside her, but she had no idea how to use it. She opened her eyes again and saw Tanya in the center of the circle, her gaze locked on Avery, her song never wavering.

  She had painted her face white and black to mimic a skull, and the rest of her nude body was covered with swirls and sigils, red and black expressions of Tanya’s mad desires. Somehow, the designs made Avery’s mind itch, and she tried not to dwell on them. Tanya smiled a death’s-head grin when she saw Avery’s disgusted expression, then she slowly turned to face the fire again and knelt before it, placing a small stone bowl and a flint knife on the ground before her. Then she sat back on her heels, swaying gently from side to side as she deepened her song.

  In spite of the fire’s brightness, shadows appeared along the high walls of the cavern, their alien shapes implying horrors that made Avery want to scream before her anger asserted itself again. She clamped her mouth shut and forced herself to watch as the ritual progressed. Her power began to roil inside her, protective and strong. She grunted in frustration, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

  The dancing shadows began moving with purpose. Like living things, they crawled across the ruddy cave walls, making their way to a wide blank space surrounded by ill-favored and ancient designs. They slithered and moved, though nothing in the room could possibly have cast such shadows, moving as they did of their own accord. Within moments, they gathered themselves together into an inky blot of darkest midnight on the wall, far larger than Avery’s two arms could span, and half again as tall as she. The shape seethed for a moment, then took shape. Something coalesced from the shadows, gaining substance in the ruddy light, and Tanya’s song intensified as she poured her energy into the ritual.

  Two yellow orbs appeared, wide, staring eyes that glared malevolently from within the darkness. Long, stringy hair sprouted from a grotesquely large head, surrounding a reddish, swollen face. Tusks stuck out from between rubbery lips, and its lower jaw thrust forward belligerently. Thick muscular shoulders led to brawny arms that hung down nearly to the ground. One enormous fist clutched a flint axe, and the other held a wicked-looking flint dagger. Black and white scales dusted the creature’s arms and torso, while the thick mane of a buffalo covered his neck and upper back. The huge, hulking thing flexed its powerful arms, then unthinkingly used the knife in its left hand to swipe at the lank hair that hung down into its face, gashing its own forehead. Thick blood trickled down from the wound, but the creature paid it no attention. Its unblinking, bulbous eyes fastened on Tanya, who finally ceased her chant.

  When it spoke, the power of its voice made Avery shudder. It wasn’t loud, but she felt the intensity of it in her bones. It sounded as though it was several versions of the same voice speaking at once. At first, the words were incomprehensible to her, clipped syllables that made no sense. Then something shifted inside her, and although she still heard the unknown words on the air, she began to grasp their meaning.

  You are foolish, the demon said, addressing Tanya.

  Atahasia, I desire the power of the yee naldlooshi. I have earned it.

  The demon, Atahasia, grunted and kept its unblinking eyes on her. Its gaze fell on Diana’s disembodied head, which had been placed facing him. It clucked its tongue.

  Your mother?

  Exactly so. Her head serves as proof of my intent.

  It turned an appraising glance at Avery, who felt the full weight of Atahasia’s attention for the first time. It was immensely powerful, harsh and dangerous, and she shied away from it. At first. Then her anger rose and she pushed back with her newfound power, repelling the demon’s intrusive energy. There was a sense of surprise from the being, and then it laughed and dismissed her as it turned back to Tanya. Avery was relieved, but also terrified. In the instant before it had turned away, she had felt an inkling of its true power, and it could have killed her with a thought.

  And that one?

  An additional sacrifice. A peacekeeper, possessed of her own magick.

  Atahasia laughed, a low, grating chuckle. She is not needed. But I will enjoy her nonetheless. It raised the bloody dagger in its left hand and gestured towards the pieces and parts Tanya had laid out all around the circle. To gain the power to walk in their skin, you must take something of them inside you. Eat.

  Tanya obediently rose to her feet, bringing the knife and bowl with her. Moving slowly and deliberately, she moved to each item around the circle, cutting a piece from each and placing it into the bowl. When she cut a piece of the skin from Diana’s head, Avery thought she would throw up, but she managed to keep from heaving. Tanya was about to return to the center of the circle when she paused, then looked at Avery. A wicked smile appeared on her face. She placed the bowl gently on the ground near the fire, then approached Avery from one side, wary of her legs.

  Tanya’s left hand reached out and grabbed Avery’s throat in a viselike grip while she displayed the sharp flint knife, now covered in bits of black and red gore.

  “Hold still, now. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

  Before Avery could respond, she felt a sharp pain in the skin of her neck, just below her left ear. Tanya quickly released her and stepped away, narrowly avoiding Avery’s infuriated kick. Smiling wickedly, she showed Avery her prize, a tiny chunk of flesh balanced on the tip of the blade. “Just a precaution,” Tanya murmured, “might come in handy.” Still smiling, she returned to the circle to add the bit of flesh to the bowl.

  “I’m going to kill you, you bitch!” Straining against her shackles, Avery had never been so angry, felt so violated in her life as now. She had a good idea where this was all going, and it both sickened and infuriated her. She had to stop it. But how?

  Chapter 25

  Jim was pretty startled when I revealed the Wyvern to him, but he took it
in stride. I guess he’d seen enough weird stuff the last few days that a Wyvern was just another drop in the bucket. He held on just as tightly as Ariana when I flew him back to Edge at the downed copter and seemed relieved when I dropped him off. Edge said he’d almost got it running, but there were still some issues. It didn’t matter that much until it was time for us to head home. Provided, of course, that we survived.

  What do you think, the roof of the big house? I could hear the eagerness in Ariana’s voice as it echoed in my mind.

  That’s my thought, I agreed. I’ll dim us until we land.

  The illusion of dimness is one of my most handy. It doesn’t make me completely invisible, but instead, makes me unremarkable. Unnoticeable. You can still see me if you know exactly where I am and you look really hard, but most people can’t do that. For all intents and purposes, it’s as good as being transparent. Casting it over myself, Ariana, and the Wyvern would take a little extra muscle, but I was more than up to it. The darkness would pretty much assure that no one would see us.

  As we approached, I cast the illusion and examined the layout of the compound. A paved road led from the front gate off to the west, then south, likely heading for the distant highway, but a pair of ruts also led from there to the top of a hill nearby. I opened my senses and detected the same kind of energy that I’d felt in Diana Thornhill’s back yard. The portal had to be there. Good to know. There were five buildings in total, all surrounded by a ten-foot-high wall. I didn’t see any guard towers, so that helped some. Even so, I could already see a couple of men in black fatigues moving around down below. I narrowed my eyes a little and saw they were heavily armed. Of course they are, I thought. I smiled. I liked fighting with armed guards. They always thought they were invincible until my claws came out.

  The buildings all had flat roofs, which made our landing much easier. Half the roof of the main house was an open patio with a smattering of outdoor furniture, as well as a covered patio attached to the main house. That looked like the perfect entry point. It was empty of guards as far as I could tell, so I guided the Wyvern towards it, keeping an eye on the guards that occasionally drifted into sight elsewhere on the property. For the moment, we remained undetected. The Wyvern glided down until it was only a few yards above the gravel-covered surface of the roof, then it alighted as gently as a hummingbird.

  Ariana slid off first, then I followed. I removed the strap from its snout, rubbed its neck, then told it to go.

  You’re free, I sent the mental image of the Wyvern flying away. I release you. Now, go. It snorted quietly and rubbed its head against me, nearly knocking me down, before it turned to go. It looked at the sky, then back at me again, almost seeming reluctant to leave. What? I asked, more surprised than anything. I had assumed control of this one by brute force; I thought it would be glad to be rid of me.

  The Wyvern ducked its head under its wing, gnawed briefly, then plucked out one of its own scales. It leaned over to me, offering it from between its teeth.

  I’d never heard of anything like this. Wyverns are wild. They obey only if subdued and dominated, which I had. This one was offering me…friendship? I reached out and took the scale, which was about the size of my palm. It shone in the faint moonlight, and I could see its rough beauty. I looked up into the beast’s eyes, and nodded my thanks, not sure of what else to do. It snorted, satisfied, and flung itself into the air, winging off to parts unknown.

  What’re you, the Wyvern whisperer? Ariana spoke up.

  I shook my head in bemusement and handed her the scale, which she quickly stowed away in her backpack. I have no idea. Nothing like that’s ever happened to me before. Those things don’t make friends.

  She grinned as she settled her backpack in place again. Looks like that one does. I’m pretty sure it was sweet on you. You ready?

  I nodded, and we headed towards the glass doors that led to what I guessed would be Tanya’s quarters. Lights were on inside, revealing an ornate bedroom with a canopy bed and cherrywood furniture. Ariana slowed as she walked towards the door, then stopped. She raised one hand as if touching an invisible wall, which I figured she probably was.

  There’s a ward here, she confirmed. It’s a good one, too. Stronger than the ones at Bress Tower. She turned to look at me and I saw a smile creep onto her face. But I’m better. Give me a sec.

  Wards are tricky things, something of an art within an art. To be perfectly honest, I’m not that good at them. They take years of disciplined practice and having talent for them doesn’t hurt. Although I’ve certainly had the time, I’ve generally been able to break through most wards, survive the consequences, and then cause my particular brand of trouble, so I saw no need to practice them. Even so, that approach is not always the best way, especially if you want to get through the ward without letting its owner know you’re there.

  Despite her youth, Ariana was a literal master of wards. Her mother had apparently trained her young daughter’s ass off, and to very good effect. The shield around her home was pretty much impassable to all but a ridiculous amount of high explosives. She could feel wards that others would most certainly miss, and she could find a way through barriers that might fry a buffalo to a crisp. Wards were difficult to create on the fly, even for her, but given a couple of minutes, she could do some impressive work. She stood silently for a few moments, gathering her energy, then she began chanting a series of soft syllables, imploring the ward to allow us entry. That always seemed to work for her, coaxing a ward to act the way she wished. It was effective this time as well, for she moved her hands as though parting a curtain and nodded at me.

  Ok, go quickly, it’s a strong one.

  I ducked through the ward at the spot she indicated and felt a tingling sensation all around me as I passed through the aperture she had made. She stepped in behind me and let the ward close itself once more. Then we approached the back door, a wide glass fixture that was probably bulletproof. I gently tried the handle, and found it locked. I reached in with my magick and clicked the tumblers into position, then eased the door open. Within moments, we were inside, and I closed the door.

  The room smelled of potpourri and musk. An enormous canopy bed was to our left, and on the wall facing it was an open fireplace, its flames crackling merrily. The walls were a pale brown, accented by rich wood molding that matched the furniture in the room. The bed was unmade, and clothing from both sexes was strewn across the floor, along with an adult toy or two. Ariana made a face and stepped carefully across the carpet, avoiding some of the more interesting items.

  “Well, at least Tanya seems to have a healthy sex life,” she muttered.

  The far corner of the room opened out into a large, plush sitting area, and to our right, enormous double doors stood open to reveal a richly appointed bathroom with gold fixtures and a huge shower chamber. A large desk sat in the opposite corner of the bedroom, covered in neatly arranged piles of papers which contrasted the rest of the bedroom’s disarray. Ariana moved towards the desk and scanned the items displayed there. Suddenly, she froze.

  “Kane,” she called, alarm plain in her voice, “you need to look at this.”

  I stepped up next to her and said, “Ok, what is it?” I looked over her shoulder and saw one of the pages she was pointing to. My skin began to crawl.

  The book had been bound in leather by someone with little skill for such tasks, and it looked to be a couple hundred years old. The paper was brittle and yellowed, and the handwriting was a thin but elegant scrawl that spidered its way across the page. It was in English, but spattered with words I recognized as coming from various Native American tribes. The language was formal and poetic, but clear enough in expressing its intent. I pointed at two words I recognized and wished I hadn’t. I sounded it out, “Yee naldlooshi.”

  “What’s that?” Ariana asked. She had sensed the play of foul energies across the entire desktop. The old papers and books had seen enough action to pick up a lasting residue of fell magick that remained lo
ng after it should have faded. That was a very bad sign.

  “That’s a Skinwalker,” I said, wishing I had anything else to say. “They’re no joke. They’re shapeshifters, among other things. The contract they make with the evil spirits to gain their powers requires them to perform atrocities any normal human would find repulsive.”

  Ariana frowned, flipping pages and unconsciously wiping her hands on her tac vest each time, trying to rid herself of the gritty, horrid feel of them. Where there were drawings, they depicted horrors that surprised and disgusted her. “Why would anyone want to do any of this? It’s abhorrent! I mean look at this!” She pointed at one particularly detailed sketch of a beheading.

  I sighed before explaining. Ariana was young, especially compared to me. I had seen things over the centuries that appalled even me, and nothing really surprised me anymore. Disgusted, yes, but not surprised. Human beings were capable of extreme selflessness at times, such kindness that would bring tears to your eyes. I’ve seen it. And yes, I might have been moved a time or two as a result. My heart is black as pitch, yes, but it still beats. I still feel.

  That said, I’ve much more often bore witness to the evils that humans are capable of inflicting on each other. I’ve seen things, terrible things. Centuries upon centuries of them. Discovering that Tanya most likely was trying to become a Skinwalker didn’t surprise me at all.

  “A Skinwalker is a kind of witch that gains the power to change their shape into any animal they choose, but they’re far more than that.”

  “So what, they’re like werewolves?” Ariana asked. I knew she was thinking of Maximus, the King of the Werewolves. He had made something positive of his affliction, but that’s still what it was: an affliction. He hadn’t asked for it. No werewolf had. Lycanthropy had often been thrust upon them, the result of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. One bite, and they were cursed forever. They either adapted or they went insane until someone hunted them down and killed them.